I’ll tell you, the Mitsubishi Carisma didn’t exactly slay the European market when it went on sale a decade and a half ago. Simply, it wasn’t popular. Then a regional car maker in China tried to take the design from Mitsu and make a version to sell to the Chinese in 2005. It wasn’t popular there neither, even at a price of just $10,000. It, as they say, “lacked quality to make a mark” in the Chinese market. O.K. then.

Should California and the feds give you tax credits to buy this thing if all Coda Automotive is going to do is raise the price sky high?

What a POS this thing is. Just look at it. In some ways better, and in some ways worse than your sister’s ’94 Honda Civic:

Now, they’re going to have a showroom in the bay area soon and they’re going to let you take a test drive starting next month. Fine, test drive the thing, I don’t care. But don’t give them a deposit, don’t encourage them.

All right, what about the all-electric Nissan LEAF, the Coda Sedan’s arch-rival? The LEAF is better and cheaper.

Here’s what an overly-excited CODA fan was saying about the LEAF last year:

Why does the CODA cost so much more than the Chinese design it’s based upon?

Here’s another question:

How on Earth can people call the CODA an American car if the bulk of it, the glider (basically the entire car except for the battery/transmission) is made in one factory in China and the giant battery is made in another factory in China? What’s that, you wait for the boats to arrive in L.A. County Contra Costa? Solano?, Alameda? (one of them counties anyway) and then slap the battery and various whatnots inside the glider and that’s your “final assembly” in America? I cry foul.

Let’s face it, the Coda Sedan is a Chinese car, whether you like that or not.

Henry “Hank” Paulson – former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, former Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs and special representative of the U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue[23]

Mack McLarty – (Thomas “Mack” McLarty) Former Chief of Staff for President Bill Clinton, President of McLarty Associates and McLarty Companies, a transportation business based in Little Rock, Arkansas[23]

Dr. Michael Wang – Manager of the Systems Assessment Section of the Center for Transportation Research at Argonne Labs, serves as a senior advisor to the Chinese government on new vehicle technology and alternative energy production

Henry “Hank” Paulson – former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, former Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs and special representative of the U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue

Thomas F. Steyer – Managing Director of Hellman & Friedman, a San Francisco private equity firm; Founder, Co-Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Farallon Capital; member of the Board of Trustees of Stanford University

Woo C. Lee – Head of Asia for the advisory firm JL Thornton & Company, formerly a U.S. diplomat at American embassies in China, Japan, Australia and Southeast Asia

Why on earth are we subsidizing the totally crummy CODA Automotive electric car company? It baffles me. What makes it a good company, what makes it worthy? Nothing.

Anyway, here’s the latest, as expected, the first recall notice has come early, before CODA even delivered 100 cars worldwide.

Here’s their “Statement” about the matter:

“CODA Automotive is committed to safety and has voluntarily recalled*78 of its 2012 CODA model year vehicles within the VIN range of 53G1U4A48CB000026 to 53G1U4A48CB000260. The recall campaign was issued because of the potential that the side curtain airbags in certain vehicles may not deploy as intended due to an improper installation. Certain 2012 model year CODA vehicles may have this condition. There are no known injuries related to this recent discovery. CODA Automotive holds itself to the highest safety standards and continually strives to offer the most reliable product for its consumers.”

Now, I’ll ask you, how many tens of thousands of these vehicles were supposed to have been sold by now? Well, I’ll answer you: SEVERAL! And yet this recall notice shows just how unpopular this product is, even though I can think of at least four huge subsidies the government grants to its owners.

Oh, but what’s this, it’s a non-crappy electric car what’s cheaper than anything from Coda. It’s a Nissan Leaf, which the Coda people have been criticizing for years. Oh well. Anyway, adorable, non?

BTW, 35,000 LEAFs have been sold so far, worldwide.

So, CODA, why don’t you take your assets and try to give them to the govmint to make up for all that you have cost us?

Solyndra shut itself down, so can you!

*This recall is a nothingburger, really. I mean, my giant Toyota doesn’t have side-curtain airbags and nobody’s recalling it, right? The recall notice is important because it gives us a clue to CODA’s abysmal sales….

“The company even brought its chief executive from China. Coda hired Philip Murtaugh in 2011, a former top executive at the Chinese operations of General Motors and Chrysler. At the 2011 Los Angeles auto show, Mr. Murtaugh expressed concern over the reception for the car’s styling in the American market. First produced nearly about a decade ago, it gives the impression of a knockoff copy of a Y2K Nissan Sentra or Honda Civic. “The vehicle was chosen three years ago,” he told me. “I came in nine months ago. We couldn’t change it.”

And then there’s this, the primary selling feature in some of the Coda ads, the large trunk:

“Yes, the trunk is cavernous, but I would gladly give up three inches of trunk depth for more legroom in the back seat.”

(The reason why the trunk is so big is that the Coda Sedan is actually a two-decade-old Mitsubishi Carisma designed for the European market, which, at the time, was in need of a little car with a big-ass trunk. Things didn’t work out, so the factory was shipped to China. I’m srsly.)

OK. Moving on.

To this:

“…difficult to accept the shortcomings of the Coda at its current price, despite its ability to grant 100 miles on a single charge.”

I’ve been telling you about this venture, this unholy alliance of Goldman Sachs execs (the people who brought us the failed WebVan, srsly, the same exact people), assorted federal government hangers-on (bureaucrats who know nothing about cars, electricity, or batteries or whatever), the People’s Republic of China, and other ne’er-do wells, for years now.

And then when the car comes out and its time for the Big Review from the sainted NYT (which had been pretty positive on this issue of this piece of junk), Coda Automotive gets a thumbs down.

Oh well.

That’s not much to show considering all the government subsidies this company is getting.

(And, mind you, this is after they lowered the MSRP down from the originally-planned $45,000(!), as I and host of others (the so-called haters) have been suggesting for a good long time.)

But at least twenty people in Benicia have jobs at the final assembly plant what are paying In-and-Out level wages….

1. OK, has the Wikipedia entry been scrubbed of any negative information? You, Gentle Reader, make the call. (The context is that the battery capacity and range claims made these past months and years aren’t coming true but there’s no mention of these things in Wiki, oh well. Wiki’s good for Coda though, cause their people can just pop on in and change things to erase history.)

3. But now come the long-promised “green jobs” to the North Bay region of the Bay Area. What was the promise, that there’d be 50 to start and 200 soon thereafter? Well, take a look at the help wanted pages, below. A couple-dozen people slapping a direct-from-China battery into a direct-from-China car does not an American car factory make, right people?

Anywho, Gentle Reader, if you want to get up to speed on the crappiest, broken-promisest electric car company in the world, click here and keep reading.

Oh, but what’s this, it’s a non-crappy electric car what’s cheaper than anything from Coda. It’s a Nissan Leaf, which the Coda people have been criticizing for years. Oh well. Anyway, adorable, non?

A full-time position is available, with immediate effect, for a Production Manager.

ABOUT CODA AUTOMOTIVE: Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, CODA Holdings is a leading developer of advanced Lithium-ion power battery systems comprised of three key divisions: CODA Automotive, CODA EV Propulsion Systems and CODA Energy. Together with its JV partners, CODA is working to reduce dependence on oil and leading the way to a cleaner future through its electric vehicles and stationary energy storage products. With segment leading range, the CODA vehicle is a zero emission four-door, five-passenger sedan with a full-size trunk that is designed to meet American drivers’ daily transportation needs. For more information on the CODA, visit www.codaautomotive.com.

JOB DESCRIPTION: The Production Manager will be located in Benicia, CA. and will manage the final assembly process. The position will be responsible for managing a dynamic repair process that in NOT paced by a conveyor line.

RESPONSIBILITIES: • Inventory control – Manage & replenish all planned components and supporting repair parts • Develop Process Sheets for Assembly Processes and Repair processes • Communicate and elevate quality issues to China Assembly, Engineering, Supply Chain and the field service organizations • React quickly to Field Service Customer issues and institute immediate countermeasures • Oversee the Contract Assembler Financial invoices and verify correct charges • Proactively work with the Contract Assembler to continuously improve quality, velocity of units through the process and reduce the total costs • Supervise 2 Salary employees and indirectly manage 20 contract assemblers • Manage Vehicle inventory and the process flow • Contribute, Lead and instigate team problem solving at all levels • Constant training for all team members to ensure assembly and repair proficiency Challenge Contract assembly company for continuous improvement in Quality, Through-put and Cost reduction.

Kindly respect our recruitment process and do not use any other method to apply. Thank you in advance for your attention to this important detail. Only qualified candidates will be contacted for preliminary interviews.

The policy and practice of CODA Automotive require that entry into employment and progression within employment will be determined only by personal merit and the application of criteria which are related to the duties of each particular job. Subject to statutory provisions, no applicant or member of staff will be treated less favorably than another because of his or her gender, marital or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, religion or belief, racial group, age or disability. In all cases, ability to perform the job will be the primary consideration.

TO ALL RECRUITMENT AGENCIES: CODA Automotive does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, CODA Automotive employees, or any other company location. CODA Automotive is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

Company Description

Coda Automotive is a manufacturer and distributor of all-electric, zero-emissions cars and battery transportation systems. Formed under the stewardship of entrepreneur Miles Rubin (known for his marketing and sales of neighborhood electric fleet vehicles under the Miles Electric Vehicles brand) in 2009, Coda engineers, brands, markets and distributes electric vehicles. The company’s manufacturing partnership strategy allows Coda to avoid the traditionally capital-intensive nature of the automobile business. Coda Automotive’s first vehicle, highway commuter sedan, is now being delivered to California consumers.”

Now the people at CODA have been trying to get the cost down from $45k for a while now so the Sedan is coming out with a lower price, but both varieties of Coda’s cars are still more expensive than a thoroughly modern vehicle from a manufacturer what knows what it’s doing like, I don’t know, the Leaf and Nissan?

From the same people who brought you WebVan (that would be Goldman Sachs people, you know the people what help create and the people who actually made money off of ridiculous WebVan) comes CODA:

Direct from China, I mean, everybody just loves the People’s Republic of China these days, am I right, and only a half-decade late and now only about $10,000 overpriced, it’s your CODA Automotive Sedan:

Hold on a second, little piggy, let’s get some lipstick on you and somebody get Tianjin on the horn and ask them if they can get FoxConn to make us some dubs for the sport model, tell them we’ll offer $15 a piece:

“Coda Automotive is in the final stretch before beginning first customer deliveries of the company’s all electric sedan.”

AND HAS BEEN FOR MORE THAN HALF A DECADE. HOW MANY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DISSAPOINTED WAITING FOR THIS CAR TO COME OUT BY THE “END OF 2008,” THE “END OF 2009,” THE “END OF 2010,” THE “MIDDLE OF 2011,” THE “END OF 2011,” THE “END OF JANUARY 2012,” THE “END OF FEBRUARY 2012,” AND NOW “THE END OF MARCH 2012?”

The Coda Sedan is partly manufactured by a Chinese automobile manufacturer,

IT’S A CHINESE CAR THOUGH, RIGHT? ACTUALLY, IT’S A FAILED MITSUBISHI/VOLVO JOINT FORMERLY CALLED THE MITSUBISHI CARISMA. IT CAME OUT IN 1994. THE EUROS DIDN’T WANT IT SO IT WAS NEVER PROPERLY DEVELOPED. THE PRODUCTION LINE TO MAKE THE CARISMA WAS SHIPPED TO CHINA. BUT UH OH, THE CARISMA FAILED IN THE CHINESE MARKET TOO, AS A $10,000 GASOLINE-ENGINED CAR. ANYWAY, THE BODY (THE DRIVETRAINLESS “GLIDER,” PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING YOU CAN SEE) IS MADE IN CHINA, AND THE BATTERY IS MADE IS CHINA, AND ALL THAT THOSE PEOPLE IN BENICIA DO IS SLAP THE TWO TOGETHER, FUNDAMENTALLY. THEY CALL IT “FINAL ASSEMBLY.”

and is shipped partially assembled to a facility in Benicia, CA, near San Francisco, for final assembly.

OH, I SEE YOU REALIZE THAT. WOULDN’T THE CODA BE A BETTER PRODUCT IF FINAL ASSEMBLY WERE DONE AT ONE OF THE FACTORIES IN CHINA? YEP. IT’S LIKE A BOX OF KRAFT DINNER – IF THE PASTA PART IS MADE IN CANADA AND THE CHEESE POWDER PACKET IS MADE IN CANADA BUT KRAFT SHIPS THE BOXED PASTA AND CHEESE PACKETS TO BENICIA, CA FOR “FINAL ASSEMBLY,” WOULD YOU SAY THAT THAT KRAFT DINNER WAS “MADE IN AMERICA?” OR “AMERICAN MADE?” CODA WOULD.

It is roughly the size of a standard size sedan, with an outline that is completely compatible with what we think of as a normal car.

A NORMAL TWO-DECADE OLD CAR. ALSO, ITS A BIT SMALL, LIKE A 1994 HONDA CIVIC.

The Sedan comes with a 31 kilowatt-hour battery pack offering a 125 mile range on the UDDS test cycle, for an MSRP of $37,250. It is also available with a 36 kilowatt-hour battery pack, a 150 mile range, and an MSRP of $39,500. In both cases the cost of the Coda Sedan is comparable with the Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus Electric and Chevy Volt, while offering a much longer electric range.

IN BOTH CASES, IT COSTS MORE THAN A NISSAN LEAF, RIGHT?

The Sedan has an outstanding value proposition in comparison with other electric cars.

ABSOLUTELY FALSE.

It’s electric range is the longest of any non-luxury battery electric vehicle.

THE TESLA ROADSTER IS NOT A LUXURY CAR. IT HAS A LONGER RANGE.

This is further than the comparably priced Nissan Leaf (80-100 miles versus 125+)…

UH, LOWER-PRICED NISSAN LEAF. YOU KNOW THE NISSAN LEAF RIGHT? IT’S A MODERN CAR, ONE FROM THIS MILLENNIUM…

It has “best-in-class charging capability”, meaning the Coda’s on-board charger is 6.6 kilowatts for 25 miles gained per hour of charging, versus the 3.3 kilowatt charger on the Leaf.

I’LL GRANT YOU THAT. NISSAN ADMITS IT MADE A MISTAKE WITH THE CHARGER. THIS IS NOT A BIG DEAL THOUGH.

It has “best in class torque and horsepower”, with a 100 kilowatt (134 horsepower) electric drive offering 221 ft-lb’s of torque.

MEH.

The 10 year, 100,000 mile battery warranty is also “best in class”,

ANY WARRANTY FROM A CRAPPY, LYING COMPANY LIKE CODA CAN’T BE CONSIDERED “BEST IN CLASS.”

…as is the 14.1 cubic feet of trunk space.

PART OF THE REASON WHY THE CARISMA FAILED IS THAT THE MAKER, NEDCAR, MADE THE TRUNK TOO BIG AND THE BACK SEAT TOO SMALL, SO THERE YOU GO.

Its price (MSRP) per mile of electric range is a “best in class” $292/mile versus $352/mile for the Nissan Leaf, $392/mile for the Ford Focus Electric, and a whopping $428/mile for the Mitsubishi i-Miev.

THIS IS A RIDICULOUS STAT.

The various ad

WELL PLAYED, NO ERRORS IN _THAT_ SENTENCE.

Hausch also presented two tables comparing cost of ownership of the Coda Sedan against the Toyota Prius and Toyota Corolla.

UH, ARE YOU CONFLATING THE BEST CAR COMPANY IN THE WORLD WITH ONE OF THE WORST? I THINK SO.

In both cases the Coda Sedan was shown to be cheaper to own, but this depends on which way the price of gasoline goes. The cost of ownership model comes from Edmunds, and accounts for the depreciation (the difference between purchase price and residual value after 5 years), taxes and fees, financing costs, fuel costs, insurance, maintenance, and repairs. Because the Coda Sedan is more expensive than either the Prius or Corolla, the depreciation and financing costs are higher, however this is more than made up for in fuel, maintenance and repair costs.

SO A SAN FRANCISCO RESIDENT RENTS A GARAGE TO HAVE A PLACE TO CHARGE A CODA AT NIGHT. THERE GOES YOUR BUDGET.

With $4/gallon gasoline, according to Coda’s figures, the five year ownership cost for a Toyota Prius Liftback IV is $43,268, while for the Coda Sedan it is $40,038. For the Toyota Corolla LE, and $5.50/gallon gasoline, the totals come out to $41,177 for the Corolla and $40,038 for the Coda. But, wait, you’re going to say gasoline doesn’t cost $5.50/gallon. Yes, the national average gas price is much less than that, today. Some parts of California are currently, today, paying over $5 per gallon for gasoline.

AGAIN, YOU CAN’T COMPARE POORLY-ENGINEERED VEHICLES WITH ANY TOYOTA PRODUCT. YOU’RE FORGETTING THAT THE CODA SEDAN IS A BIG POS.

Gasoline prices are far more volatile than are electricity prices, and electric car owners are immune to gasoline price shocks such as the one currently unfolding around us.

AM I SHOCKED TO SEE GAS OVER $4 AGAIN? NO.

See also Why electric cars are cheaper to drive than gasoline cars.

UH, NO THEY’RE NOT.

Enough about all that, what about the car?

YES. LET’S.

First off, the fit and finish are excellent

NOPE!

and it looks really nice.

NOPE!

The prototype Coda brought two years ago was drab and humdrum by comparison, and clearly Coda’s designers have spent the last two years focusing on details.

FROM HITLER TO GANDHI OR SOMETHING, HUH?

It’s a five seater sedan, however reports from those who sat in the rear seat said it was a bit cramped.

YES YES YES, INDEED. A BIT CRAMPED.

The drivers seat was comfortable with controls where you expect them. Except, that is, for the gear shifter. Instead of a shift lever to select between Park, Reverse and Drive, one turns a knob. The knob is straight-forward to use, but is different than normal and will require a bit of an accommodation period. Coda’s knob makes more sense than the one in the Leaf.

DISAGREE.

Handling is responsive with no lag between turning the wheel and direction changes.

WOW! IT TURNS LEFT _AND_ RIGHT!

Acceleration is good,

NOPE!

however we were driving on city streets giving limited ability to fully test this. The regenerative braking was pleasant and almost good enough for a one foot driving driving style where you accelerate, then let regen slow the car. Regen response starts soft, then as the car slows down the regen braking becomes stronger, almost to the point of completely stopping the car, at which point the regen lets up and in order to actually stop one has to operate the brakes.

SOMETHING I DIDN’T KNOW. OK.

Coda has already made first deliveries of the Sedan to dealerships, including the Del Grande Dealership Group (DGDG)

REALLY, THE DGDG? HURRAY! LET’S ALL GO THERE NOW AND BUY BUY BUY!

which will handle sales in the SF Bay Area. Hausch says the company is on track for first customer deliveries beginning in March 2012.

“ON TRACK” SINCE 2007, RIGHT?

The Sedan is sold only in California.

THE SEDAN WILL ONLY BE SOLD IN CALIFORNIA, RIGHT? FOR NOW, ANYWAY. HEY, WHEN IS CODA GOING TO GO FULL SOLYNDRA? PLACE YOUR BETS.

In short Coda has put together a very good value proposition,

NOPE!

a low cost of ownership,

NOPE!

excellent all-electric range,

WE’LL SEE.

while packaging all this in a nicely appointed sedan.

NOPE!

The company’s main challenge, as a small automotive startup, will be getting the attention of potential buyers who are accustomed to going to the large automakers.

THE COMPANY’S MAIN CHALLEGE WILL BE TO MAKE A PRODUCT THAT PEOPLE WILL WANT TO BUY. THE SEDAN ISN’T A PIECE OF CRAP BECAUSE CODA IS A STARTUP, IT’S A PIECE OF CRAP BECAUSE CODA DID A CRAPPY JOB.

What I’m saying is that even by the low standards of the electric car industry, the CODA Sedan concept, that idea of taking a gas-engined vehicle (the quite unpopular Mistubishi/NedCar Carisma/Lancer) that was engineered by Mitsubishi and Volvo in the pre-Internet era and making it as an electric car in China, is exceptional for the number of liars who have been connected with it.

Anyway, this POS electric car, which is inferior to the Nissan Leaf, is now “only” $41K. Hurray, I guess, but the Nissan is still substantially cheaper.

The CODA’s are coming, the CODA’s are finally coming! Here’s the production line for the drivetrain-free, battery-free “gliders:”

“It’s frumpy, expensive (starting at $39,900 before rebates compared to the $35,200 Nissan Leaf), and doesn’t have a big name attached to it. [Yes, yes!]

And yet, it might just be a hit when it’s released early next year. [Say what now?!]”

All right, I’ll now read the article. (Please wait for me to finish.)

[Oh the Nissan LEAF sucks, apparently, well they’ve been saying that for a looooooong time now, so this isn’t new at all, “We have a 50% larger battery pack than anyone else in the EV space,” well that’s horseshit since the Tesla Roadster has a higher capacity battery, “the Coda sedan may get a 110 mile range certification” well good luck on that one, you’d think they’d have an actual rating by now since this car was merely weeks from delivery more than a year ago, “he believes that Coda can sell 10,000 EVs” well that’s news to me since the recent predictions from CODA have been in the 20K per year territory, uh sorry, the charger is not a “Godsend,” “buyers may flock to the CODA” uh no, that’s not going to happen, no sir, “Photos of Coda Automotive plant” uh, no, there are no Chinese people in those shots – the CODA plant is in China, that’s where they make the fucking car, don’t you know that, writer? And where they make the battery pack as well, of course, Gentle Reader, the final assembly plant in California is window-dressing, for the most part, oh let’s see here, Control F, searching for China or Chinese and that comes up goose-eggs. Does the writer know where this car and its battery are made? Perhaps not, can’t tell, maybe he knows but just doesn’t want to share that with you, cause, well, you know…]

Well that was a waste of time, but it seems like, at long last, CODA Automotive is getting real, or at least more real, actually acknowledging reality, at times.

Leave there be no doubt, the CODA Sedan is the biggest POS electric car concept to come down the pike since, I don’t know, a century ago during the first electric car boom. That’s true at a $46k price level and it’s true at a $41k price level.

Sorry.

What they should have done is to price it lower than the Nissan Leaf, which, of course, is a better car, primarily owing to the fact that it didn’t start off life as a POS Mitsubishi with a big-ass trunk and a small-ass back seat waaaaay back in 1994, and you know, also to the fact that Nissan, a real car company, spent a lot moooooooore money during development.

So, keep it up CODA, keep on bad-mouthing the Nissan, even though your stated Mission Statement is to increase sales of all electric cars.

Well, here’s the latest on that horrible electric car company what says it will soon be importing electric cars from one part of China and batteries from another part of China and slapping them together in Benicia, way out in the North Bay.